The persistent ringing of a telephone woke Yesu.
"This is the CCD, what's your ergency?" A high-pitched voice ca.
Yesu yawned, stretched and sat up. The ground she had slept on was hard, cold and slled a bit like urine. Which was exactly what a holding cell slled like.
Despite this, she had slept like an infant.
Judging by the light coming from the window it was still early in the morning, around six or seven.
There was an officer at the front desk, phone to ear, listening to the early morning caller.
Yesu rubbed her sleepy face with both hands absentmindedly, and the gauze pad on her forehead fell off.
She touched her head gently.
The gauze on the floor was stained with blood, but the injury on her head wasn't as bad anymore. She could feel her flesh already closing up.
She noticed it and ignored it.
The officer at the front desk slamd the telephone down.
"Damned Zero kids."
"What have they done now Cee Cee?" Another Officer erged, holding two cups of coffee. He handed one to Cee Cee.
Officer Cee Cee sighed, "Prank calls. The usual."
Her colleague frowned. "On a school morning?"
"Almost every ti. Their 'ergency' almost sounded legit this morning though. They're getting really good." Cee Cee said sourly. "Can't wait to leave this dump."
Her colleague whistled. "And I just got here. I almost quit when I got the transfer notice."
Cee Cee chuckled. "Hang in there officer, you've seen nothing yet."
Her gaze shifted to Yesu in the holding cell. She was staring at the window high up in the cell.
"What happened to her?"
Cee Cee took a sip of her coffee before answering, "An accident."
"Oh, I heard about it. Near death by accident, no guardian, Rank 0…" he faced Cee Cee eagerly, "...I heard MacKayden flagged her."
"Had to. Too suspicious."
"You saw the report?"
"Yeah." Cee Cee's gaze returned to the cell. "Sothing off about her… body didn't respond as it should have."
The station doors opened, and a tall woman dressed in a suit strode in. Her heels made sharp, rhythmic clicking sounds as she moved to the front desk.
The two officers' attention was solely on the woman.
Even Yesu turned to look.
The woman didn't slow down as she approached the desk.
"Good morning," she said, voice calm but carrying weight. "I'm here for Yesuin Kaelitha."
Cee Cee blinked. "And you are…?"
The woman reached into her coat and placed an identification card on the desk without a word.
Cee Cee picked it up. Her expression shifted almost imdiately.
"…Zero Collective Progression," she read aloud. Her colleague leaned in slightly.
"Legal division," the woman added.
A pause.
Cee Cee straightened. "She's currently being held for questioning."
"On what grounds?" the woman asked.
The question ca too quickly to dodge.
"An ongoing investigation—"
"Into what?" she cut in. "Surviving an accident?"
Silence stretched across the desk. The other officer shifted uncomfortably.
"She was involved in a suspicious incident," he tried.
"And that justifies detaining a minor overnight?" the woman replied, tone unchanged. "No formal charge. No guardian present. No legal counsel."
Cee Cee's jaw tightened. "We were within protocol."
"Then you won't mind if I file a review request," the woman said lightly. "I'm sure oversight would be very interested in how 'protocol' is being interpreted in Zero districts."
That landed. Hard.
Cee Cee exhaled through her nose. "No need for that."
"Good," the woman said. "Then we're done here. Release her."
"Cee Cee."
The voice ca from behind. Officer MacKayden.
He stepped forward, gaze settling briefly on the woman before shifting to the cell.
"She's being processed," he said.
"She's being detained," the woman corrected. "Illegally."
MacKayden didn't respond imdiately. His eyes flicked past her, landing on Yesu, watching, asuring. Then back to the lawyer.
"You're taking an unusual interest," he said.
"I take an interest in procedure," she replied.
MacKayden gave a small nod. "Of course you do."
He turned slightly. "Let her out."
***
The cell door clicked.
Yesu stood without hesitation and stepped out.
'So this is what protection looks like.' She thought.
Up close, the woman looked even sharper. Clean. Precise. Like everything about her had been asured beforehand.
"Can you walk?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Good."
No sympathy, no softness, just efficiency. They started toward the exit.
As Yesu passed the front desk, the other officer frowned.
"Wait."
Everyone paused. His eyes were fixed on Yesu's arm.
"The bandage…" he muttered.
The bandage on her left arm had loosened slightly, just enough to reveal the skin underneath.
The scrape was still there. But it wasn't raw anymore. Not like it should be.
He stared for a second longer, almost spoke, then stopped himself.
They reached the doors.
"Wait outside," the woman told Yesu.
She didn't argue, didn't ask questions. She just stepped out into the morning air.
The woman turned back to MacKayden.
"You should be more careful," she said quietly. "Not every case is worth the attention."
MacKayden's expression didn't change. "I decide that."
"Do you?" she replied.
They stared hard at each other for a mont, then she turned and walked out.
***
Outside, the air felt… normal. Too normal.
Cars passed. People walked. Morning carried on as if nothing had happened.
Yesu stood still.
The woman stepped out beside her.
"For future reference," she said, "you have rights. Whether they acknowledge them or not."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small card. "If they bring you in again, you contact us first. Not after."
Yesu took the card but didn't look at it.
"We deal with situations like this," the woman continued. "Unlawful detention. Intimidation. Misuse of authority in Zero districts."
A brief pause.
"They count on you not knowing that."
She held Yesu's gaze for a mont longer. "Don't make it easy for them."
Then she left, as quickly and confidently as she had co.
"People don't survive that."
A voice ca from behind.
Yesu didn't turn imdiately.
When she did, MacKayden was standing just inside the doorway watching her intently.
"Yes," Yesu said simply. "Probably."
User Comments
0 comments from readers